October 31, 2018
You would have to try really hard to find a bad place to go hiking on this beautitul, sunny Saturday in Missouri. I couldn’t escape until late afternoon, but when I finally did I made my way to Don Robinson State Park in Jefferson County. I had already hiked the Sandstone Canyon Trail earlier in the year, but wanted to check out the LaBarque Hills Trail on the other side of the park. It proved to be an excellent choice.
Sugar Maple showing fall color
The LaBarque Hills trail is a 2.4 mile loop on a well-marked trail (blue blazes) that follows a ridgeline through the mixed hardwoods and cedar glades on the western edge of the park. Even on this spectacular day I had the entire trail to myself. The trail crosses a small creek a few times offering excellent photo opportunities. The dogwoods and fragrant sumac lit up the understory with their red and maroon colors. The ridges were filled with the bright yellow of sugar maples and hickories, with a few orange/red colors mixed in.
But really the trail would be beautiful in any season. Rock outcroppings, the clear creek, and varying terrain on the LaBarque Hills Trail kept things interesting. The open areas invited exploration, and a few off shoots of the trail seemed to follow the creek for a while. I made a mental note to return another day when I had more time just to explore some of the off-trail areas a bit more.
The trail was easy to moderate. While only 2.4 miles, it did include several hills and a few creek crossings. The surface was earthen, but mainly thin soils over rock so it would probably be ok to walk even after a decent rain. And as mentioned earlier, it was very well marked so it would be hard to get lost on the trail. If you are seeking a good fall color hike in the St. Louis area, the LaBarque Hills Trail and Don Robinson State Park is for you.
I rushed through the last 1/2 mile of the hike because I wanted to make sure I made it up to the large covered patio at the top of the hill near the parking lot to view the fall sunset over the hills. I made it in plenty of time and found a comfortable rocking chair to sit back and soak it all in. The patio was occupied, but certainly not crowded. One couple cooked up some brats and burgers on one of the provided charcoal grills. Another couple sat and sipped wine and snacked on crackers. Families filtered in and out, took a few photos, and moved on. A photographer spoiled the silence with his high school senior photo shoot, but if that is the worst thing I have to say about it then we are doing pretty good.
Really, it was just another great day in the Missouri outdoors and it makes me happy to see people taking advantage of the perfect weather and this beautiful park. Maybe I will see you there next time. But you better hurry, these fall colors won’t be around for long.
For my previous blog on Don Robinson State Park, check this out:
https://mo-outdoors.com/don-robinson-state-park/
For information about the park in general:
https://mostateparks.com/park/don-robinson-state-park
